


It's a Cat's World

by Ozxiii



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, it's like disgustingly marichat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-07 03:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5441168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ozxiii/pseuds/Ozxiii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chat doesn’t know when he began to watch Marinette. Perhaps it was after the Evillustrator, or maybe when he saw her stand up to Chloe for Mylene. Maybe it was later than, or perhaps it was before all of that. But he made a point to check in on his princess after his patrols, and he always felt better knowing that she was safe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cat Got Your Tongue?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ADJIT FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME YOU ARE THE BEST PERSON EVER and also the miraculous ladybug chatzy because the encouragement helped me get this out. Everyone is super cute and awesome.

He watched her from his perch on a roof across the street. She was singing loudly and laughing. She danced from her desk to the mannequin and back – a flurry of fabrics and ribbon. He smiled, the sight of her was enough to lift the heaviness hanging on his shoulders.

Chat doesn’t know when he began to watch Marinette. Perhaps it was after the Evillustrator, or maybe when he saw her stand up to Chloe for Mylene. Maybe it was later than, or perhaps it was before all of that. But he made a point to check in on his princess after his patrols, and he always felt better knowing that she was safe.

Most days, Chat would catch her sketching or designing. She’d be sitting on her desk on her good days, and on days where she had a creative block, she’d be sprawled on the floor and he would laugh. Other days, like today, she’d be bringing her designs to life and it was magical to watch. Alya was there sometimes. She would help hold things, and he could only guess that the girls were talking about something Ladybug related. But he loved watching her working by herself the most. The way she smiled as she pinned the pieces together, the look of concentration on her face was inspiring. It made him feel like doing something good… it made him feel like he did with Ladybug.

Then there were the other days where she was just sat there reading. He could never see what the book was, but the sound of her laugh felt like a precious secret to him. It was something that he was sure only he had heard.

Sometimes, he would catch her on a bad day – she would be slumped on her desk, or worse yet, she would be crying on the chaise lounge. On those days, he’d want to go to her; land on her balcony and knock on her window. She would open it for him and he would wrap his arms around her. He’d protect her from her worries like the way he protected the city from its demons.

And on the days after, he would keep an eye out for her. He’d note the dark circles under her eyes, and the way she waved off Alya’s worrying with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. He’d do his best to make her day a little easier… like leaving a book she was looking for on her desk, or returning her forgotten cellphone to her bag before she noticed. But it was all very hard on him. This was the extent of his influence on her life. He couldn’t get to her as Chat or as Adrien.

Chat laughed bitterly at the thought. His princess was in a tower that no one could reach. Well, Rapunzel had always been a favourite fairytale of his anyway. He just always thought he would be the prince that conquered the indomitable tower. No, now that wasn’t quite right. He wasn’t a prince. He was just a knight, below her in every way.

He watched her for a few more minutes, a voice in the back of his mind telling him to get out of the rain, no matter how light it was, and to mind the time. He knew that he would regret staying up tomorrow morning. When she turned back to her desk, Chat leapt off his perch and started on his way home.

Except, she hadn’t been going back to her desk. A moment later, Marinette was on her balcony, shouting for him. She had caught the glint of his bell in the moon light in the corner of her eye and came out to see what was going on. This had not been the first time she noticed him there, but it was the first time he endured the rain just to be there.

“Chat Noir!”

He spun around and saw her shivering in the rain. He steadied himself, running back towards her and smiled, she was full of surprises.

“Princess,” he breathed as he landed on the balcony.

“What are you doing out here?”

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

“Chat, it’s literally raining right now.”

He laughed. “First of all, it’s only a drizzle. Second of all rainfall can be beautiful, and third of all, you need to get back inside. It’s raining.”

“As if you haven’t just been sitting out here for the last hour.”

He blinked at her – she had seen him? He hoped that the darkness was enough hide the flush of his cheeks. She was grinning but she didn't look like she had noticed. Chat made a note in his head to be careful though. She was more observant than he had thought.

“What, cat got your tongue?” she chuckled, proud of herself. He laughed.

“Oh princess. You’re a girl after my own heart.”

She rolled her eyes at him, and then made her way to the entrance to her room. She opened her window and made a move to step inside, but hesitated. She turned back to him, “aren’t you coming?”

Chat was stunned again, but once his brain caught up to everything, he smirked and tackled her into her room. The window slammed shut behind them and Chat couldn’t stop giggling. Her eyes were wide with surprise, but Marinette couldn’t hid the smile on her face either. She put a hand over his mouth and a finger to her lips, signaling for him to quiet down. The feel of her hand on his face was warm and he took in the scent of her skin.

“Marinette, what was that sound?”

“Nothing Maman the window was just stuck. I got it now!”

They waited until the sound of footsteps faded away and they both relaxed. Chat was chuckling.

"You didn’t have to jump me.”

“I had good reason.”

“What reason could that be?”

“So that I could say this,” he paused for effect and his grin grew, “look what the cat dragged in.”

“Are you serious?” she groans.

He snickers. “It could have been better, but it was still good, come on.”

“And I offered you shelter from the rain too.”

“Aw, are you going to throw this poor kitty back out there?”

“You can stay, but only if you behave.”

Chat straightened out his posture. “As you wish, princess.”

There was a slight smile on her lips as Marinette untangled herself from Chat and climbed down the ladder. She disappeared downstairs for a moment and Chat marveled at her. She was nothing like she was at school. Here, she was able to hold her own. There was a playfulness that replaced her usual stutter, and a cheeky tone to their conversation that he only typically found in his interactions with Ladybug. Who was this girl?

When Marinette returned, her hair was down and there was a towel around her neck. She threw a second towel at him and he dried himself off as best he could. Marinette went back to her work while Chat stayed seated on her bed. She picked up a fold of fabric and started to pin it in place. “Now really, what were you doing out there? I thought cats hated the rain.”

“I was feeling down. Getting in touch with my inner ennui,” he half-joked. Chat slouched forward, leaning on the railing. He had thought about coming here for so long – in his mind, it was always to comfort her. Never did he think it would be the other way around.

“A bit of a drama queen?”

“Aren’t I always?”

“Yes, but you’re usually more…” she made a gesture with her free hand.

“Cheerful?” he offered.

“Let’s go with that. Sure.”

“It’s just one of those days. I’m sure you’ve had them.” He deflects and thinks back to all the times he’s seen her cry, all the times that he had wanted to comfort her, all the times he wants to ask her about now.

“So you’re not going to talk about it?”

“I’d rather not, no.”

“That’s fine,” she shrugs at him. “Well then, I had a great day.”

“What happened?” he urges her on even though he knows exactly what happened. He catches her eye for a second as she moves to retrieve more pins, and he’s glad for her seamless transition onto another topic

“I won another competition held by Gabriel Agreste! This is the second time and I’m on cloud nine. He complimented me on my stitch work, and now I feel so inspired.”

“I can see that.”

“Since you’re here, can you help me out with something?”

“Sure.” He leaves his spot in her bed and joins her by the mannequin. “What does my princess need?”

“Model for me.” Her hands are on his shoulders and she positions him just so. She drapes the fabrics over him and wraps them around his torso. As she pins everything into place, he tries his best to stay as still as he can, but the feel of her hands brushing by his ribs startles him. “Are you ticklish?”

“Wh-what? No.”

She brushes her fingers along his ribs again and he can’t help but jump. “Oh my gosh, you are.” She removes the fabric from him and places it to one side before jumping at him. “Revenge!”

They fall to the floor and Chat’s begging her to stop, but he can barely breathe. He’s laughing too hard and only vaguely aware that they need to be quiet. The feel of her fingers ghosting over his ribs, waist, and chest are too much and he jumps at the contact. Finally, he catches hold of her waist and lifts her off him. She struggles to get at him again but her arms are not long enough and he laughs at her pout as he catches his breath.

They hear the sound of footsteps below and she holds a finger to her lips. She’s smiling despite it, and then the footsteps fade. They’re safe, for now.

“Let me go.”

“Only if you behave,” he replies.

“You’re under my roof.”

“Fine,” and he obliges quite literally. She makes a small squeak as she falls on his chest and he laughs at her again. His arms follow after her and closes his eyes, content in holding her to him. He marvels at how small she is. The weight of her on top of him, the warmth she emits... He tightens his arms around her just enough to check that she’s real.

“Chat, technically, you still haven’t let me go.” Her voice is muffled against his chest.

“But I did let you go. I just caught you again.” He looks down at her just as she tilts her head up to meet his eyes.

“That’s no fair.” She makes a face and Chat wonders if he’s crossed a line so he releases her. He pushes himself up to lean against the chaise lounge but she stays where she is, still on his chest. She’s staring up at him and he’s the one that has to look away first. Blue eyes that entrance him so – he’s lost his breath again and his mind if all over the place. He can’t quite understand Marinette. The moment he thinks he’s got her pinned down, she surprises him. Where was that quiet, shy girl that sat behind him in class every day? What other sides of her had he not seen yet? It seemed that his checkups on her only offered him a brief glimpse of her world. There was still so much more to her that he didn’t know. His heart leapt at the possibility of more precious secrets to uncover.

And all of that was only in the back of his mind. He was more focused on the way she was still pressed against him, and how she was still staring at him.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No, I just…” she doesn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she pushes herself off him and sits an arm’s length away from him on the floor. He doesn’t question her further, though he’d like to. There are so many thing he wants to know about her, and yet the cat’s got his tongue.

Her face is tinged the slightest bit of pink, and finally he sees a side of her that he’s familiar with. He’s hands are tingling at the thought that this is the same girl that he sees every day. The same girl that he’s just held in his hands. He’s eager to learn more about her, but he anchors himself to this bit of familiarity. When he reaches out to touch her cheek he feels like he’s crossing worlds to get to her – breaking through what he knows and what he has yet to learn.

He cups her cheek and even through his gloves, he feels the heat of her face growing. She turns to look at him, surprising him again. At school, she would hide her face. Here, she was bearing all for him to see. Her hands rises to meet his and she leans into his touch.

“Chat, why were you outside?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He strokes the side of her face with his thumb, following the curve of her cheekbone down.

“Did something happen with Ladybug?”

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

“Nothing for a princess to worry her little head about.” He takes her face in both hands and pulls her closer to him to kiss her forehead.

“I worry about all my subjects. Even my knights.” He kisses the top of her nose.

He smiles. “You remembered,” he says as he kisses both cheeks. She’s already breathy.

“Of course I did.” She slides her arms over his shoulders and around his neck. He hesitates, knowing that what he’s about to ask her could change everything, but the mask he wears is enough to keep those fears at bay.

“Marinette, can I kiss you?”

There’s a fearful tremor in his voice. He’s afraid of what he answer could be and what’s about to happen, but he can't help but be excited by it. In the moment that she doesn't answer him, he feels an uncomfortable heat creeping up his spine, making him restless. All she does is stare at him, her mouth parted and eyes wide. He can feel her breath of his face and it is warm and sweet. His eyes linger on her lips for a moment before looking up to meet her gaze, a silent plea for her answer. He counters her silence the only way he knows how.

“Cat got your tongue?”

There’s a flash in her eyes as she registers what he’s said and she smiles at him, sighing, “yes.”  
She leans into him and for a second he doesn’t register what’s happened. But the moment his mind catches up to reality, he responds to her touch – and desperately so. He responds to the press of her lips, and he responds to her soft sighs. He runs a hand down her side, the line of her body is smooth and taut and he cannot help but follow it over and over until finally settling his hand on her waist and pulling her flush against him. He traces her bottom lip with his tongue and she’s entirely his. Such a simple thing has left her completely pliant. She has a hand in his hair, combing through it, playing with the ends and twirling through the strands, and he’s sure that she could easily turn this all around. One move, and she’d have him around her finger instead.

But she’s giving and giving and giving, and she lets him take her as he wants. Every part of him is buzzing and he’s not sure this is real. How could someone be so sweet and warm and tender? He’s gentle with her, scared that he’ll break this spell with the wrong move. When they pull away for the first time. She leans further forward, following after his lips. He gives her a chuckle, trying so hard to memorize this moment, even if it is a dream, he wants to remember this forever. Their noses touch and he cannot help but nuzzle her.

“Cat got your tongue many times,” he snickers.

“One more?” she asks, and he willingly obliges. She climbs over him, settling on his lap. This second kiss is perplexing and dizzying and intoxicating. When their lips meet again, both of them are more eager. He’s less worried about shattering the dream and she’s given herself into this fantasy. There’s a hunger that wasn’t there before and it’s all lips and tongues and fevered touches. She moans into his mouth and Chat can’t think about anything but how to go deeper.

Right now, he’s tongue tied in the best way. He wonders, briefly, about the many sides of Marinette that he’d like to kiss and she shivers as his hand settles on the small of her back underneath her shirt. With the other hand, he tilts her face just so. He commits more of her to memory – the feel of her hands on his neck and in his hair, the rise and fall of her breath, and the flutter of her eyelashes against his cheek.

When they are breathless and spent, they rest their foreheads together and he takes in the sight of teary blue eyes and bruised lips. He’s especially proud of the blush across her cheeks and runs the back of his hand along the side of her face again. She closes her eyes at the touch, and leans away from him. He thinks he’d like to kiss her neck as he sees a flash of it, or perhaps he’d like to leave a mark along her collarbone.

He’s still dazed when she suddenly stands and pulls him to his feet. She leads him back up the ladder and Chat’s mind briefly falls to her bed, but instead, she opens her window and pushes him through it. The drizzling has not stopped and the cold air is a stark contrast to the warmth he had held just a moment ago. “What are you doing?” he asks, trying to make sense of everything.

She’s laughing at him when he finally stumbles back outside. “Kitty didn’t behave himself,” she says and closes her window. Despite the blurriness, she takes in his perplexed face through the glass. He can see a grin on her face, as if she had come out on top of all of this. As if she hadn’t been the one asking him for more.

He makes a face at her, sad that he’s been thrown out, but aware that he can see her again like this. There’s always tomorrow, he thinks, and the day after that and the day after that. He salutes her before running back home, the taste of her still in his mouth and the blush on her face still in her mind. Blue eyes and pink lips are all he can think about for the rest of the night and he grins to himself, knowing that he’s just discovered a new, precious secret.


	2. Curiosity Killed the Cat

School seems so far away and so does the rest of Paris. Her room was another world entirely and not one that she wanted to leave. Part of her mind was still there, in the moment that she shared with Chat last night, and the other part of her mind was on Chat himself. Not on his lingering kisses, but on the things that had been bothering him. He had seemed fine earlier that evening on patrol. Their banter was as quick and witty as usual, but when she found him on the roof, he had been a sad kitten. And worse yet, the cheerful edge in his voice was gone. Sure, his replies had been playful, but even if he hadn't really said anything to her something of his mask had fallen away last night.

Or maybe she was overthinking everything. Yes, something had been bothering him, and he admitted as much, but there was something more than that. Last night had hinted at a side of Chat that Marinette did not know and she was _curious_. That is, he had been less focused on keeping up the appearance of Chat Noir, hero of Paris, and he had been more… subdued – more himself. She just couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t noticed anything wrong as Ladybug. Perhaps he was hiding that part of himself from her. Perhaps he was worried of what Ladybug might think of this normal boy with insecurities of his own. Perhaps he was just more open with Marinette in a way he couldn’t be with Ladybug.

She wondered if she could really affect such a change in him. But then again, _she_ hadn’t treated him any differently than she would have as Ladybug – repartee, sass, teasing and everything, so that shouldn’t have been a variable in this equation.

With all these thoughts about Chat, Marinette had no room left in her mind for reality. But she still managed to get through the day unscathed. After all, Marinette was gifted with good luck – though that magic worked itself in more quiet, subtle ways. She always found the books she was looking for and she had never lost her cellphone – luck was on her side, and it was enough to survive on… well, luck and Alya combined. Her friend dutifully steered her away from poles and walls that she probably would have walked into otherwise, and she was free to drift through the rest of the day. She vaguely registered the look on Alya’s face that told her that she would need to explain herself once she got down from cloud nine though, and it didn’t seem like the Gabriel Agreste excuse would work either.

Lunch rolls around, and Alya walks her home to ensure her safety. She was thankful for it, later, when it registered that she had almost been hit by a car, but again, her mind was intent on analyzing and remembering every aspect of the previous night. She wanted to hold onto that feeling of comfort that she had around him. She thought about how easy it was to be herself around him. He was able to bring out the Ladybug in her. He made her feel sure of herself and confident. He made her feel like she didn’t need the costume to be who she wanted to be.

If she was honest with herself, she had been thinking about Chat for a long time now. It started when she first noticed him outside her window. The first night, she thought it was a coincidence. The second night, she wondered if he had figured it out. The third night, she told herself that she would wait for him to come to her first, but he never did. She let it go for far too long, and then he just became another familiar shadow. By then, she was too scared to confront him about it but he never brought it up to Ladybug either. She grew so accustomed to his presence that it was strange to _not_ see him. He was there when she was Ladybug, and he was there when she was Marinette; he was a constant in her complicated, dual life. And maybe that was why she felt so comfortable around him. Maybe that was why she let him kiss her – and why she asked him for more. But Marinette pushed these thoughts from her head because she was _not_ honest with herself.

She wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge those feelings yet.

Lunch is over before she knows it, and Marinette realizes that she’s not touched a single thing on her plate. She packs it away to eat on her way and kisses her mother goodbye as she leaves. Unfortunately, Alya was not there to walk her back, but she managed to return to the school without incident – that is, until she walked straight into Adrien.

Of all the things that could have happened in her daze, this was not the worst, but it was definitely one of the more embarrassing things.

 “Oh, Marinette.” He turned to face her, a polite smile on his lips. “You okay?”

"Y-yes! I’m fine. So-o-sorry about that.” She can’t look up and she knows that she’s probably as red as a tomato. She feels him put a hand on her shoulder and that’s it. She’s ready for death to take her.

“It’s fine. Are you okay? You’ve been a little out of it today.”

                That was the understatement of the year but she manages a smile and a nod. He offers to walk her to class and her brain is overloaded. There are already too many thoughts of Chat in her head, and now Adrien is pushing his way in too. She ends up blinking at him, not quite able to process everything.

“Marinette?”

He ducks his head to meet her eyes and her brain’s officially blown a circuit. But she catches the bags under his eyes and frowns. “Are yo-you okay? You l-look ti-tired.”

He straightened up, taken aback by her statement but chuckles to himself. She really was more observant that he gave her credit for. “I’m alright. It’s just that…”

He trails off, and it’s Marinette’s turn to wonder what’s going on in his head. She stares at him because words aren’t really working for her at the moment and Adrien seems to snap out of his reverie anyway.

“Sorry. It was just something with my _maman_.”

His mother? When had Adrien ever said anything about his mother?

Their conversation never finishes. Alya shows up and the bell rings, warning everyone that class was to start soon. Adrien offers to walk Marinette to class again, and Alya practically pushes her onto him. He asks her about what’s on her mind, but Marinette can’t form coherent sentences and she doesn’t feel like she can say anything about Chat. In the end, he just escorts her to her seat in awkward silence and then class begins.

This time, as the teacher starts the lecture on math, Marinette’s mind is preoccupied with more than just Chat. Now, she’s wondering about Adrien’s mother – this had been the first time she’s heard him speak of her and it seems that she has a curious streak today. Who was she and where is she now? What kind of relationship did Adrien have with her? The questions on her mind keep piling up. She’s completely lost in her thoughts, and Alya can only shake her head and sigh.

 ---

After school, Marinette still isn’t much better. She makes it home by herself, because Alya has errands to run for her mother, and through good luck again, she’s not struck down by a car or any other moving object, though she does walk into a street lamp. The evening is spent absentmindedly sketching a design, but her heart is not in it. She can’t stop wondering about what had made her kitty so sad. She wants to know why he was outside her room last night, and she wants to know why he’s been making these visits at all. What drew him here?

Marinette doesn’t realize that she’s missed patrol until there’s a knock on her window. When she looks up, Chat is there, smiling, but it’s not the usual Cheshire grin. His smile is gentle and for a minute, Marinette thinks back to Adrien’s polite smile when she bumped into him. She opens her window and lets him in.

“What are you doing here?” she asks. She pauses for a second and then adds, “Or are you just going to be really cryptic about it again?”

Now his smile is apologetic. “Actually Princess, I came because, one, I couldn’t find Ladybug, and two, because I wanted to see you.”

“In that order?”

“No. I was going to come see you tonight anyway.”

She wants to ask him why, but she knows why. He takes a step towards her and she’s backed into a wall. Marinette tries to recall her thoughts from the day; she tries to remember at least one thing that she wanted to ask him, but he’s too close to her for her to think properly now. Her mind is a mess of questions and thoughts and nothing is being processed. So instead, she acts as she always does with him. She reaches up and pushes him away by the nose, trying to gain some control over the situation. After all, she had spent a day thinking about him; she was going to get her damn answers.

She descends the ladder, walking past the chaise lounge – a flashback to last night’s events on the floor, right by that spot – to take a seat at her desk. Chat follows her but perches himself on her table, enjoying the height it gives him over her.

“How are you today?”

"Better than yesterday,” he muses. “Or not.” He looks over to the lounge.

She rolls her eyes at him, “are you hoping for a repeat?”

“You sound like your friend Alya. You haven’t said anything to me that isn’t in the form of a question.”

Marinette looks away, and she bites the inside of her cheek. Was she so obvious? Chat stands and places is hands on either arm rest, and leans in close to trap her. “I’m just worried about you. And you were super secretive last night. You can’t blame me for being curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat. I would know.”

Her breath hitches and she hates that he’s cornered twice in less than ten minutes of arriving. “But satisfaction brought it back,” she counters.

He leans away from her, giving her a chance to escape. “Good answer.”

She rolls her chair away from him, towards the chaise, and he leans against her desk, arms crossed and satisfied with the blush on her face. She’ll probably strangle him by the end of the night – that, or kiss him again. She buries her face in her hands at that thought. God, what was wrong with her today?

“Yes.”

Marinette lifts her face from her hands, quirking an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Yes, I am hoping for a repeat.” He uncrosses his arms and moves to the chaise, making a spot for himself. “But that’s not all I came here for.”

“I’d ask you why you’re here but then you’d just tease me again.”

He smirks. “Well, that's half the fun of coming to see you.”

“So you just want to tease me.”

“And kiss you.”

“And that’s everything?”

“You’re doing it again.”

“Chat, I can’t keep this conversation completely question free.”

“You’re just not trying hard enough.”

“Then you try it.”

 “I haven’t asked you a single question yet.”

Marinette threw her hands up in frustration. She was definitely going to strangle him. “You’re just deflecting my questions. Don’t think I don't know that.”

Chat shrugged. “It comes with being a superhero. Secret identities and all that.” After a moment. He adds, “Fine, you get one question. I’ll answer truthfully – just nothing that could reveal my identity.”

Marinette perks up at the idea, already knowing what she wants to ask him. “Why are you here?”

“Because the company is nice.”

“No, I mean, why did you come here all those times. I saw you outside my window. Yesterday wasn’t the first time.”

Chat raises his eyebrows, and lets out a low whistle. “That’s a little more complicated. I could tell ya but then I’d have to kill ya.”

“You still said you would answer me.”

“You think you can handle it?” Chat’s resting a hand on both arm rests again and pulling her chair closer to him. He’s up close and personal, and she’s too mesmerized by his eyes to attempt escape. There’s a golden glint to his bell and an emerald shine to his eyes, and she can’t look away. “Well princess?”

“Yes,” she sighs, recalling the last time she had sighed the word.

He slides an arm around her, and drags her from her seat. She stumbles as he pulls her into his lap, and he nuzzles the space between her neck and shoulder, mumbling something against her skin. It tickles and she jumps, but his hold on her keeps her there.

“Ch-chat?”

He kisses the side of her neck before pulling away and grinning at her. “I didn't say that you would hear my answer.”

She hits him and he laughs.

“You wound me princess. Quite literally.”

“You deserve it.”

“You’re probably right about that.”

“I knew it.” She smiles at him. “Are you going to let me go anytime soon?”

“No, didn’t you hear what I just said?”

"You mumbled against my neck, what do you think?”

 “Again with the questions. Come on, I already gave you a free one.”

 “There’s only so many times I’ll put up with you until I strangle you, Chat.”

 “Is that the only way you know how to shut me up? With Violence?”

 She knows exactly what he’s going for and she raises both eyebrows at him, as if asking him if he was really doing this.

 “You know Princess, the best way to rule over your subjects is with love and care. Not brutality.”

 “I don’t know, the occasional execution might be necessary.”

 “Were my crimes so serious?”

 “Well let’s recount the events.”

 There’s a sparkle in Chat’s eyes as he realizes the permission she’s given him. She can’t quite believe the challenge she’s put him up to either, but she’s not about to back down now.

 “Well first, I asked the princess for her permission, and then I think she made the first move.” His hands are on her waist and he draws her even closer to him. His lips are at her chin. “Or would you say that happened differently?”

 “It’s accurate so far.”

 “Then I placed my hand on her waist,” he runs a hand down her side, just as he did the night before “and I responded to her kiss.” His lips are brushing against hers as he speaks, and once again, she can’t help but kiss him first. When he kisses her back, it’s just like he did the first time, gentle and careful. She parts her lips when he traces his bottom lip with his tongue, and she plays with the ends of his hair. It’s magical – like they somehow went back in time to last night and she feels the same flutter in her stomach. It’s a sensation she likens to falling, a rush that she cannot quite describe. Scary and intense, but she knows that she is in safe hands.

_Exhilarating. Yes, that was the word she was looking for._

She pulls away first this time. “And then?” she asks, her voice hoarse. She feels his lips turning up into a smile as he kisses her cheek and then her jaw. He nuzzles the crook of her neck again, and she feels him nipping and sucking at the spot. Her heart’s hammering in her chest and she needs to stop him before he gets too close and hears it. So she tugs lightly at his hair. “That didn’t happen last time.”

He looks up at her, grinning. “No, but I wanted it to.”

She’s speechless and she can only watch as his tongue flicks out to lick his lips. He’s so pleased with himself.

“And then you asked me to kiss you again, and you were delicious.”

“I don’t recall that.”

“Let me remind you.”

He leans in again to kiss her senseless. This rough, sweet boy that she doesn't even know is bruising her lips and making her moan and sigh and she doesn’t have the strength to fight him. One day, she’d like to do to him what he’s done to her, but today is not that day. For now, she enjoys the way his mouth slots against hers, and the taste of his breath on her tongue. With gentle coaxing, she gets him to tilt his head and she’s reveling in the smell of him and the whiff of a familiar cologne. She feels the leather of his gloves against the small of her back and her skin burns under his touch. She can only imagine how good it would be to feel his skin on hers instead of the leather.

He pulls away this time, but he continues his butterfly kisses down her jaw and neck. “Does the princess remember now?”

As if she could forget the first time. She swallows hard as he kisses her throat. “I remember.”

"And the verdict?”

“Guilty on all charges.”

He pauses. “Of what? Obeying my princess?”

“Keeping the truth from her.”

“God you’re persistent,” he laughs but it’s muffled between kisses.

“So how do you plead?”

“I plead for mercy.”

“Then you’re guilty.”

“Or a falsely accused innocent.”

“Which is it?”

Chat pulls away from her, and his grin is too wide. She can tell he’s teasing her silently. “I’m going to throw you out again, you damn cat.”

“I’m warning you again princess, curiosity killed the cat.”

“And I told you satisfaction brought it back.”

“You’re a princess, not a cat.”

"Then I suppose I’m willing to risk it.”

For a second, Chat’s hold on Marinette tightens and his smile drops. She’s startled by the change and she doesn’t know how to respond. But before she can make anything of it, the smile is back on his face and his kissing up along her jaw.

“Princesses should stay safe in their castles. Let me take the risks.” His voice is lower than a whisper, and she feels him squeeze her ever so slightly. As he nuzzles against her neck, she makes a mental note that it seems to be a favourite spot of his. At the same time, she wonders if the gesture had some other, deeper meaning. The smile on his face tells her that he’s fine, but the way he’s clinging onto her for dear life tells her differently. Once again, Marinette is left wondering about this new side of Chat.

He releases her and the spot on her neck feels cold.

“Chat?”

“That’s enough for today.” Just as she thought, the smile on his face lacks its usual brightness, and she can’t figure out what could have upset him so. How was it that she was left with more questions than she started with?

He leans down to kiss her forehead and then he climbs up her ladder and through the window. She follows after him, hoping to catch him one last time before he’s gone. When Marinette makes it up to her balcony, he’s already too far to hear her calling after him. She watches him disappear into the night, wondering when she’ll finally get her answers from him.


End file.
